:00:51. > :00:55.Welcome to BBC Three's live coverage of Euro 2012. Tonight, we
:00:55. > :00:59.focus on Group C, where three teams are vying for the two qualifying
:00:59. > :01:03.spots. Spain and Croatia are favourites, but the question we are
:01:03. > :01:06.asking this evening is that after two heavy defeats, can the Republic
:01:07. > :01:16.of Ireland salvage some pride and end Italy's hopes of making the
:01:17. > :01:17.
:01:17. > :02:46.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:02:46. > :02:56.Italy can only qualify from this group with a victory tonight. Even
:02:56. > :03:00.then, they are not guaranteed to go through. Italy could win
:03:00. > :03:04.convincingly, but still go out with Spain and Croatia draw at 2-two or
:03:04. > :03:08.higher. Trust us on that. Ireland are sadly already out, but will
:03:08. > :03:12.look to end the campaign on a positive note. We will keep you up-
:03:12. > :03:16.to-date with the Spain versus Croatia game, which is also on BBC
:03:16. > :03:22.One. But here, we are concentrating on Italy versus the Republic of
:03:22. > :03:25.Ireland, in the company of Steve Staunton and Alan Shearer. Steve,
:03:25. > :03:30.Richard Dunne has said the players are clearly hurting after the two
:03:30. > :03:37.big defeats. It is all about putting on a performance, isn't it?
:03:37. > :03:41.Especially for those who have given support. Yes, our performance has
:03:41. > :03:48.been disappointing. We made simple mistakes which cost us dearly with
:03:48. > :03:54.goals. It is so uncharacteristic of the team. I think Giovanni
:03:54. > :03:57.Trapattoni has said, let's have a good goal. He has stuck with a team
:03:57. > :04:07.which has been successful in their qualifying campaign, and he is
:04:07. > :04:10.
:04:10. > :04:15.I you surprised that he has not really change things around and,
:04:15. > :04:20.with youth this time? I would have liked to have seen young Maclean
:04:20. > :04:24.given a goal. I do not know why Darron Gibson is not playing in the
:04:24. > :04:30.middle of the park. Shane Long is another absentee that I find
:04:30. > :04:35.strange. They are all good, young, hungry footballers with pace.
:04:35. > :04:38.his defence, it is the older guys with experience that got them into
:04:38. > :04:45.this position. He did not be surprised after this tournament if
:04:45. > :04:49.you see the likes of Damien Duff, shade -- Shay Given, even Robbie
:04:49. > :04:54.Keane, say to the fans, that is enough. We gave Ireland our best
:04:54. > :04:57.shot. That is why he stuck with them tonight, because it is
:04:57. > :05:01.conceivable that three or four of the guise could retire after this.
:05:01. > :05:05.Damien Duff is captain for the evening and picks up his 100th cap
:05:05. > :05:11.for the Republic, one of only five players who have done so. Can't
:05:11. > :05:15.remember through the first one was. It is fantastic for him. He
:05:15. > :05:23.deserves it. He is a great professional. He works so hard in
:05:23. > :05:28.training. He is the ultimate professional, and he is a leader.
:05:28. > :05:38.He has been given the armband tonight. As for Italy, four changes
:05:38. > :05:44.
:05:44. > :05:49.They have to go for goals, don't they? They need to win tonight. A
:05:49. > :05:54.few people were surprised at the system. In the first game, they
:05:54. > :05:59.played three at the back. In qualifying, they were successful
:05:59. > :06:05.with four at the back. They have gone back to four tonight, with De
:06:05. > :06:09.Rossi pushing into midfield and two forwards, with Balotelli left back,
:06:09. > :06:16.which does not surprise me because we have not seen anywhere near his
:06:16. > :06:19.form in the previous two games. Andrea Pirlo caught the eye. We saw
:06:19. > :06:25.that terrific free-kick from him. He has been crucial for them in
:06:25. > :06:29.midfield. Absolutely. He is a fantastic player who brings an
:06:29. > :06:34.experience to that Italian midfield. If Ireland are going to get
:06:34. > :06:42.anything to write, they will have to get around him. He will start
:06:42. > :06:44.most things off for Ireland tonight. All of his goals for Italy have
:06:44. > :06:50.come from set pieces, be it penalties or free kicks. They also
:06:50. > :06:55.have to go against them nature to score goals. They have to win this
:06:55. > :07:01.game. It is as simple as that. You might see a different approach from
:07:01. > :07:05.the Italians. It is almost time for kick-off in Poznan. Could there be
:07:05. > :07:15.a final dramatic twist for group C As the Republic of Ireland take on
:07:15. > :07:51.
:07:51. > :07:55.another former Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy, with Steve Wilson.
:07:55. > :08:01.So will Ireland play with some freedom to write? Will Italy play
:08:01. > :08:06.with fear? For Ireland, Giovanni Trapattoni is a manager for Italy.
:08:06. > :08:14.He is a legend, and tonight, he is their enemy within. Italy cannot
:08:14. > :08:18.qualify if they don't win. They may not qualify even if they do. And
:08:18. > :08:24.Giovanni Trapattoni will know every single Italian strategy in the book,
:08:24. > :08:32.because it is a book that he helped to write. And Giovanni Trapattoni
:08:32. > :08:36.is a huge factor in the Italian psyche tonight. They are on a
:08:36. > :08:42.knife-edge, and they face a side, Mick McCarthy, who are coming out
:08:42. > :08:46.here in Poznan very much with something to prove. Very much so. A
:08:46. > :08:51.lot has been said and written back home in Ireland about the
:08:51. > :08:56.performances. It is sad that we have never given ourselves a solid
:08:56. > :09:01.footing to compete. We based our success here on a solid defensive
:09:01. > :09:09.base, and we have not had it. We conceded seven goals, most unlike
:09:09. > :09:14.us and certainly unlike a Giovanni Trapattoni team. So here they walk
:09:15. > :09:23.into a sultry, sticky evening in Poznan, the Municipal Stadium. It
:09:23. > :09:33.is not full, maybe about four- fifths full. And about four fifths
:09:33. > :09:34.
:09:34. > :09:41.of the people in the stadium Irish. So a night for Ireland to try and
:09:41. > :09:51.restore some pride. A night for Italy to try and get through to the
:09:51. > :09:53.
:09:53. > :09:58.last eight of this European Championship. The Irish have had a
:09:58. > :10:04.ball. But unfortunately, they have not had much of the ball. Their
:10:04. > :10:10.fans have been making themselves heard wherever they go. But now it
:10:10. > :10:14.is down to the men in green, red and white to do something where it
:10:14. > :10:24.matters. The anthem of the Republic of Ireland will be the one we here
:10:24. > :10:32.
:10:32. > :10:39.# A ta faoi gheall ag Eirinn. # Buion dar slua.
:10:39. > :10:49.# Thar toinn do rainig chughainn. # Faoi mhoid bheith soar.
:10:49. > :10:50.
:10:50. > :10:52.# Sean tir ar sinsear feasta. # Ni fhagfar faoin tioran na faoin
:10:52. > :11:00.traill. # Anocht a theam sa bhearna baoil.
:11:00. > :11:09.# Le gean ar Ghaeil chun bais no saoil.
:11:09. > :11:19.# Le gunna screach, faoi lamhach na bpilear.
:11:19. > :11:55.
:11:55. > :12:03.# Seo libh canaig amhran na bhFiann # Fratelli d'Italia.
:12:03. > :12:11.# L'Italia s'e desta. # Dell'elmo di Scipio.
:12:11. > :12:18.# S'e cinta la testa. # Dov'e la vittoria?
:12:18. > :12:28.# Le porga la chioma. # Che schiava di Roma.
:12:28. > :12:29.
:12:29. > :12:32.# Iddio la creo. # Fratelli d'Italia.
:12:32. > :12:36.# L'Italia s'e desta. # Dell'elmo di Scipio.
:12:36. > :12:41.# S'e cinta la testa. # Dov'e la vittoria?
:12:41. > :12:49.# Le porga la chioma. # Che schiava di Roma.
:12:49. > :12:52.# Iddio la creo. # Stringiamoci a coorte.
:12:52. > :12:54.# Siam pronti alla morte. # Italia chiamo.
:12:54. > :13:04.# Stringiamoci a coorte. # Siam pronti alla morte.
:13:04. > :13:06.
:13:06. > :13:10.# Italia chiamo #. Si! It is a great anthem, and the Irish
:13:10. > :13:18.fans are enjoying it almost as much as the Italians, jumping up and
:13:18. > :13:26.down and clapping along. As you can see, Damien Duff, wearing the
:13:26. > :13:31.captain's armband this evening. As we were saying earlier, it is his
:13:31. > :13:41.100th cap for the Republic this evening. They say there might be a
:13:41. > :14:13.
:14:13. > :14:17.storm about half-time, so bear with friendlies before this tournament,
:14:17. > :14:22.their last run of results in 26 years. They have won only one of
:14:22. > :14:29.nine matches in major finals since then. They won the World Cup in
:14:29. > :14:35.2006. That is not great. Here is the referee, who is a Turkish
:14:35. > :14:45.insurance worker who took charge of Ukraine's win over Sweden in group
:14:45. > :15:02.
:15:02. > :15:07.D and also Fulham's victory over Trapattoni had made a whole bunch
:15:07. > :15:15.of changes he would have been accused of favouring Italy, be
:15:15. > :15:20.country he managed to in 2004. He also represented them as a player
:15:20. > :15:24.in the 1962 World Cup. Some were keen for him to go after a couple
:15:24. > :15:29.of poor displays. Others believe that reaching the finals was
:15:29. > :15:38.achievement enough. His response to his critics suggest that if it is
:15:38. > :15:47.down to him he will do the two more years on his contract. Ireland
:15:47. > :15:56.wearing be predominantly white shirts and green shorts. They want
:15:56. > :16:03.to really put on a put -- a display for their supporters. Italy after
:16:03. > :16:10.when. Mick McCarthy, as a manager, how do you feel psychologically
:16:10. > :16:17.playing against a team managed by somebody who used to be your
:16:17. > :16:26.manager? It will play on his mind. Let's see what happens. Italy have
:16:26. > :16:33.to when. Kevin Doyle here for Ireland. They nearly scored after
:16:33. > :16:41.nine seconds of the game. It was a good chance. They made a hash of it.
:16:41. > :16:51.I don't know how Kevin Doyle latched on to it. 18 years ago
:16:51. > :17:13.
:17:13. > :17:23.today, Ray Houghton scored in New one slide away. Interesting to see
:17:23. > :17:26.
:17:26. > :17:30.the set-up already. And they want to chase it, Ireland. One of the
:17:30. > :17:38.midfield players has caused a problem but I am happy to see that
:17:38. > :17:41.they are closing them down. Ireland have played four halves of football
:17:42. > :17:51.so far in this tournament. They have conceded in the 4th minute of
:17:51. > :18:01.each half. They will be glad if it is 0-0 at -- after five minutes
:18:01. > :18:05.
:18:05. > :18:15.of Robbie Keane. Not a particularly comfortable start for the Italians
:18:15. > :18:36.
:18:36. > :18:46.closing down, not letting them settled -- settle. McGeady and Duff
:18:46. > :18:48.
:18:48. > :18:58.might have a bit of joy because they are playing narrow. Balzaretti
:18:58. > :19:35.
:19:35. > :19:45.across, decision goes island's way. -- Kevin Doyle. Him it is a goal
:19:45. > :19:54.
:19:54. > :20:04.kick. Path -- not a free kick, as it turned out. The I thought it was
:20:04. > :20:38.
:20:38. > :20:48.a half decent chance from the free edge of the penalty area. Damien
:20:48. > :20:49.
:20:49. > :20:52.Duff is also in the box. These lads never give anything up easily. They
:20:52. > :21:02.have not played well and they know that and they want to repay the
:21:02. > :21:02.
:21:02. > :22:20.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:22:20. > :22:23.Wylam -- Glenn Whelan snuff it out. Goal kick, Kevin Doyle incensed.
:22:23. > :22:33.looked like a corner kick to me. Let's see if the referee has got it
:22:33. > :22:36.
:22:36. > :22:46.right. Never. He did well, Kevin Doyle. He was trying to get a shot
:22:46. > :22:48.
:22:48. > :22:58.in but, if not, good to get a corner kick. Ignazio Abate had a
:22:58. > :22:59.
:22:59. > :23:09.little bit of room on the other side. Ireland have to be narrow
:23:09. > :23:09.
:23:09. > :23:51.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:23:51. > :24:01.because they are playing three Italian squad. Also in the stands,
:24:01. > :24:28.
:24:29. > :24:36.The cross deflected, Kevin Done with the clearance. -- Richard
:24:36. > :24:46.Dunne. Path they have got the -- they have got the extra man in
:24:46. > :25:09.
:25:09. > :25:19.Andrew's. -- Andrews. Into it -- Italy coming into tonight's matches
:25:19. > :25:36.
:25:36. > :25:46.going to so -- shut down the two forwards down, the rest of the team
:25:46. > :26:07.
:26:07. > :26:13.Mario Balotelli? They need goals. The manager knows better than
:26:14. > :26:21.anybody else. You do not know what you will get out of Balotelli. When
:26:21. > :26:31.he is good he is very good and when he is bad he caused us problems. --
:26:31. > :26:58.
:26:58. > :27:08.can't debt done one against one. -- Sean St Ledger. Put away by Richard
:27:08. > :27:27.
:27:27. > :27:37.Dunne. They have committed a lot of little shove from Robbie Keane.
:27:37. > :27:37.
:27:38. > :27:47.was always going to be a foul. Them his Italian experience of Inter
:27:48. > :28:12.
:28:12. > :28:22.Milan seems a long time ago now, needed to come a little bit earlier.
:28:22. > :28:58.
:28:58. > :29:04.The longer it goes on, the more anxious the Italians will get.
:29:04. > :29:14.are leading two centre backs against Robbie Keane. They should
:29:14. > :29:29.
:29:29. > :29:39.let Kevin Doyle stay up against the offering. Just be patient, keep
:29:39. > :29:39.
:29:39. > :31:10.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:31:10. > :31:17.hold of the ball, and neither one of the pitch. The referee has asked
:31:17. > :31:23.Kevin Doyle to put the ball out of play. It does my head in. Was he
:31:23. > :31:28.enjoyed? I think Doyle did brilliantly. That was his job. He
:31:28. > :31:35.actually kicked Doyle, so I don't know how much he hurt him. I think
:31:35. > :31:41.it is rubbish. They should play on and see it out. A head injury is
:31:41. > :31:51.one thing, but that is not a head injury. I agree. It is usually
:31:51. > :32:09.
:32:09. > :32:12.have been since they became world champions in 2006 in the World Cup.
:32:12. > :32:19.They went out of the last European Championships in the quarter-final
:32:19. > :32:23.stage on penalties to Spain. And they had an abysmal World Cup.
:32:23. > :32:31.There are a few countries which have been poor since they won the
:32:31. > :32:41.World Cup. By their standards, they have had two poor tournaments, and
:32:41. > :33:00.
:33:00. > :33:05.that is not counting the finding the picture a bit awkward.
:33:05. > :33:15.-- they are finding the pitch a bit awkward. The pictures are really
:33:15. > :33:33.
:33:33. > :33:39.hard now. Most of them wear rubber- That got the reception it deserved
:33:39. > :33:49.from the fans behind that goal. was never convincing. His eyes lit
:33:49. > :33:53.
:33:53. > :33:57.up when he thought he had a shot. The two Italian full-backs are
:33:57. > :34:07.pushing really far. I would like to see one or two of our winners
:34:07. > :34:07.
:34:07. > :35:01.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:35:01. > :35:11.is wrong with that?, says Richard Dunne. I don't think it was for
:35:11. > :35:11.
:35:11. > :36:06.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:36:06. > :36:16.that, because that is always going them have the ball are working so
:36:16. > :36:16.
:36:16. > :37:46.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:37:46. > :37:56.minutes, and they have not caused get a head on it. Well played,
:37:56. > :38:15.
:38:15. > :38:25.McGeady. Excellent play from group see when you look at the
:38:25. > :38:51.
:38:51. > :39:01.games include one who is the daddy of them more. And we have the baby
:39:01. > :39:01.
:39:01. > :40:16.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:40:16. > :40:23.marriage corner. For a moment, they will punish us. 0-0 here, and still
:40:23. > :40:30.0-0 in the Spain-Croatia game. That means that as it stands, Spain win
:40:30. > :40:36.the group and Croatia go through with them. Is it not to to to yet?
:40:36. > :40:46.Yes, there is the two to two things. If Spain and Croatia finish with
:40:46. > :40:59.
:40:59. > :41:09.two each, Italy could win 15-0 and frustrating. We are that keen to
:41:09. > :41:09.
:41:09. > :41:50.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:41:50. > :42:00.score a goal. Kevin Doyle could tonight. -- Ireland look a
:42:00. > :42:20.
:42:20. > :42:30.one of the star men of the Republic of Ireland World Cup team of ten
:42:30. > :42:31.
:42:31. > :43:13.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:43:13. > :43:19.seems any challenge in there is a Ireland would go out with a whimper.
:43:19. > :43:27.I do not think that will be the case. Not a chance. Never, ever.
:43:27. > :43:37.They have been playing well. But they have to do better with the
:43:37. > :43:55.
:43:56. > :44:05.opportunities. They are defending was probably Italy's best chance so
:44:06. > :44:33.
:44:33. > :44:43.far. Balzaretti gets the yellow Natale before that. It was a good
:44:43. > :45:05.
:45:05. > :45:15.chance. The Italians are not The inevitably in Poznan the Poznan
:45:15. > :45:20.
:45:20. > :45:30.was going to happen. Stephen Ward needs somebody to run for that. He
:45:30. > :45:32.
:45:32. > :45:35.needs a centre forward been prepared to chase that. Would it be
:45:35. > :45:44.cruel to suggest that the Irish fans don't want to wait for a goal
:45:44. > :45:52.to do the Poznan? They came here wanting to see their team when. To
:45:53. > :45:56.see our team when. But if they don't they will still enjoy being
:45:56. > :46:06.here. They want to see the team play and they have come to have a
:46:06. > :46:18.
:46:18. > :46:25.Great block, they are all appealing for handball. They are not going to
:46:26. > :46:34.get it. The Turkish referee says no. Great run by Balzaretti, wasn't it?
:46:34. > :46:44.Fabulous. He has been booked for a rugby tackle but he showed his good
:46:44. > :47:22.
:47:22. > :47:32.side there. It has hit him in the looking for a ball to slip inside
:47:32. > :47:32.
:47:32. > :48:34.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:48:34. > :48:41.all over the top. They are but the door is shut. The two
:48:41. > :48:51.centre backs are playing a very narrow. Sean St Ledger did a good
:48:51. > :49:13.
:49:14. > :49:23.Ireland. They need to get out of from di Natale, which I don't think
:49:23. > :49:33.would have beaten Shay Given. of respite, because we have been
:49:33. > :49:35.
:49:35. > :49:45.under pressure there. The two winners are doing a great job but I
:49:45. > :50:17.
:50:17. > :50:27.would still like to see one of them to get it on target! Off the line.
:50:27. > :50:31.
:50:31. > :50:40.Pressure is building on the Irish goal now. Cassano, a good hit.
:50:40. > :50:47.don't know how di Natale get that on target. It was a great strike
:50:47. > :50:57.and you would expect Shay Given to gobble that up. The di Natale did
:50:57. > :50:57.
:50:57. > :51:07.fantastically. Was that across the line or not? The goal is given. The
:51:07. > :51:10.
:51:10. > :51:20.goal is given. It might be Antonio Cassano at the heart of the huddle.
:51:20. > :51:22.
:51:22. > :51:32.Italy lead 1-0. I think you would have to say that that was over the
:51:32. > :51:34.
:51:34. > :51:38.line. It was over the line. Antonio Cassano with the header. Shay Given
:51:38. > :51:47.got a hand to it. It has been covering in the last four or five
:51:47. > :51:57.minutes. It has. It started with a mistake, di Natale nearly scored
:51:57. > :52:06.
:52:06. > :52:16.and Shay Given has spilled the shot. It is looking at half. It had been
:52:16. > :52:18.
:52:18. > :52:24.crying for Fido six minutes. -- five or six. Italy would when this
:52:24. > :52:34.group if it remains like this. Spain would go through as runners-
:52:34. > :52:35.
:52:35. > :52:45.up. A yellow card for Keith Andrews. It his -- it is mack his second of
:52:45. > :53:12.
:53:12. > :53:22.again before half-time. Then it with this free kick. We can see how
:53:22. > :53:46.
:53:46. > :53:53.Croatia. We then got a head to it. -- Glenn Whelan. Cassano with the
:53:53. > :54:03.header put them on five points. They are level on points with Spain
:54:03. > :54:17.
:54:17. > :54:25.and Croatia but Italy would go blood on the lip of Balzaretti. The
:54:25. > :54:35.yellow card is coming out for John O'Shea. I think he is given the
:54:35. > :54:43.
:54:43. > :54:51.yellow card because he saw the O'Shea has the yellow card, the
:54:51. > :54:55.Italians have the free kick and Andrea Pirlo will take it.
:54:55. > :55:05.Shouldn't he have to go off if he has blood on his face? It is not
:55:05. > :55:12.
:55:12. > :55:22.have been fortunate, Ireland. was a really good free kick. You
:55:22. > :55:38.
:55:38. > :55:48.was unlucky. He was on the move, he jumped early, he got in front of
:55:48. > :55:49.
:55:49. > :55:58.him. It was actually a great header. Scored a couple goals in a Euro
:55:58. > :56:06.2004, Cassano. I don't think it would take a lot for the referee to
:56:06. > :56:11.give another yellow card. At the moment, Spain, Croatia and Italy
:56:11. > :56:21.all have five points. The results against Ireland would be taken out
:56:21. > :56:27.
:56:27. > :56:37.of the equation and the other teams would be put in a mini league. The
:56:37. > :56:37.
:56:37. > :56:47.goals scored against the Irish would not count. One flick on and
:56:47. > :57:03.
:57:03. > :57:13.he was always through -- almost was offside, which is fairly
:57:13. > :57:26.
:57:26. > :57:36.obvious. This is all hypothetical but if Italy do win Group C and it
:57:36. > :57:44.
:57:44. > :57:54.-- then the winners of Group D would play Spain. It looked like
:57:54. > :58:02.
:58:02. > :58:12.handball by George at Chiellini. -- now. It really is different if the
:58:12. > :58:16.
:58:16. > :58:25.other team are one goal ahead. It makes you chase the ball all night
:58:26. > :58:35.long. It is difficult to go from 4- 4-2 to forfeit -- 2433 mack, a
:58:36. > :59:02.
:59:02. > :59:10.positive position to a negative one. Good block. I think Balzaretti was
:59:10. > :59:19.happy with that, he had run about 70 yards. I hope somebody is
:59:19. > :59:27.watching di Natale, who is lurking inside the Irish penalty area.
:59:27. > :59:34.Richard Dunne came across very quickly to block Thiago Motta.
:59:34. > :59:44.never stands still. Great ball by Thiago Motta and well done, Richard
:59:44. > :59:44.
:59:44. > :00:38.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:00:38. > :00:48.bed gracefully. He won't be older he gets, believe me. The Irish are
:00:48. > :01:17.
:01:17. > :01:23.out of the Irish headers. They looked full of enthusiasm. When he
:01:23. > :01:28.went in, they must have thought, here we go again. That is half-time.
:01:29. > :01:32.Ireland started like a different side from the one that was so
:01:32. > :01:37.comfortably beaten by Croatia and Spain. But the tide was beginning
:01:37. > :01:47.to turn, and then Antonio Cassano's near-post header definitely crossed
:01:47. > :01:55.
:01:55. > :01:58.the line. At the moment, Italy So a disappointment for the
:01:58. > :02:06.Republic of Ireland, because for most of that half, they more than
:02:06. > :02:10.held their Rome. Yeah, we did. But unfortunately, simple mistakes and
:02:10. > :02:14.poor decision-making cost us again. It has knocked the stuffing out of
:02:14. > :02:19.the boys. You could see in the last few minutes that everything has
:02:19. > :02:23.been drained out of the lads, who put in a very good shift so far.
:02:23. > :02:28.But unfortunately, this is what happens. It was looking positive
:02:28. > :02:34.until Cassano has struck. It was. The Republic had a fair amount of
:02:34. > :02:41.the game for the first half-hour, and created a few chances. We
:02:41. > :02:47.thought Italy were not looking too dangerous. But basic errors have
:02:47. > :02:53.cost Ireland the goal. It is in stark contrast to prove the
:02:53. > :02:58.Republic of Ireland's game in qualifying. Six out of 7 goals they
:02:58. > :03:08.have conceded have been down to defensive mistakes. There were two
:03:08. > :03:19.
:03:19. > :03:29.or three hours in the build-up to we did OK. There was a wonderful
:03:29. > :03:30.
:03:30. > :03:39.left. It was just a knock-on. We gave the ball away again. Then
:03:39. > :03:46.there was a shot. Shay Given rushed off his line and then fumbled the
:03:46. > :03:50.shot. The smallest guy on the pitch got the header, and it should not
:03:50. > :03:55.happen. You have got to stay alive to set pieces. We have seen time
:03:55. > :04:00.and time again that set pieces win or lose you games. The smallest guy
:04:00. > :04:05.on the pitch got a free header, and that is not acceptable. But Ireland
:04:05. > :04:12.have had their chances, but it has not quite happened to them. We have
:04:12. > :04:16.had good situations. But again, we have taken the wrong option. As a
:04:16. > :04:22.centre forward, Kevin Doyle got this ball after five or six seconds,
:04:22. > :04:29.and he has to test the goalkeeper, Buffon. He had the opportunity. The
:04:29. > :04:34.defenders are showing him where to go. The gap was there. As a forward,
:04:34. > :04:38.you have to be thinking that way. Perhaps this is why they are not
:04:38. > :04:45.scoring goals. There was a poor ball in to Robbie Keane, who did
:04:45. > :04:50.all right to shield it, but look who he passed it to. Kevin Doyle.
:04:50. > :05:00.There are your two centre forwards. Look in the 18 yard box. There is
:05:00. > :05:01.
:05:01. > :05:06.no one there. That is one of the reasons why. Aiden McGeady had a
:05:06. > :05:12.great run, but he overruns it again. You can see that Damien Duff is
:05:12. > :05:21.screaming for it. Doyle is the widest man. It is these little
:05:21. > :05:25.errors that have cost us. When Aiden McGeady ran at the back line,
:05:25. > :05:30.he could have caused problems. Ireland have had their fair share
:05:30. > :05:36.of chances. We have highlighted three opportunities. They should
:05:36. > :05:39.get their shot at goal away earlier. When they don't, they have to get
:05:39. > :05:43.there goals in the box with more quality. No one expects them to go
:05:43. > :05:47.out and beat Spain or Croatia, but the chances have been there for
:05:47. > :05:53.them tonight to score against Italy. It goes to show what you said
:05:53. > :05:58.earlier about the strength of injecting pace in this Ireland side.
:05:58. > :06:05.That is it. With any football team, you have got to have pace. Aiden
:06:05. > :06:13.McGeady has the ability to do that. But he has to get better at quality.
:06:13. > :06:19.Robbie was looking for a pass often. He doesn't do that, he delays it.
:06:19. > :06:24.As you can see, Damien Duff is screaming for to get a shot of.
:06:24. > :06:30.for Italy, Di Natale came in for Balotelli. He has been their main
:06:30. > :06:35.danger man. He has looked very sharp. They are having problems
:06:35. > :06:44.with Di Natale and Cassano. They found themselves in that pocket
:06:44. > :06:48.where they were getting the ball time and time again. Cassano and Di
:06:48. > :06:56.Natale were waiting for the ball to come in. I think the referee got it
:06:56. > :07:01.right on the handball. For me, that is not a penalty. Those two guys
:07:01. > :07:05.want to get in the box and score goals, whereas Robbie Keane and
:07:05. > :07:11.Kevin Doyle are not so keen. They are spending too much time outside
:07:11. > :07:18.the 18 yard box. Let's look at where this leaves us at half-time.
:07:18. > :07:26.As things stand, Italy lead the group at five points ahead of Spain.
:07:26. > :07:32.Italy scored two goals in the head to heads. The other teams have
:07:32. > :07:37.scored just one. If Croatia score in the second half, then Spain
:07:37. > :07:41.could exit the competition, which would be extraordinary. Absolutely.
:07:41. > :07:48.It is unbelievably tight in this group now. It will be fascinating
:07:48. > :07:52.to see how both Croatia and Spain face up to that in the second half.
:07:52. > :07:55.It is anyone's at the minute. you have been engrossed in this
:07:55. > :07:58.feast of football for the last 11 days, you could be forgiven for not
:07:58. > :08:07.realising that another sporting treat is almost under starter's
:08:07. > :08:13.orders. And they're offer. That is a nice hat, followed by stuck in
:08:13. > :08:23.the turf. Cheeky tipple. A late push from Gone With The Wind. It
:08:23. > :08:26.
:08:26. > :08:30.Alan, you have got horse racing on Wednesday. Yes, for 20 5:00pm on
:08:30. > :08:35.Wednesday in the Royal Hunt Cup. We have got a day off, so I will be
:08:35. > :08:40.there. Just when everybody has had enough of the rain over here, you
:08:40. > :08:44.actually want it to rain. Our horse likes a bit of mud, so I am praying
:08:44. > :08:48.for rain. As the start of Royal Ascot begins
:08:48. > :08:57.tomorrow, we will also see one Wayne Rooney make his Euro 2012
:08:57. > :09:05.debut. The heartbeat. The polls. The one. Good things come to those
:09:05. > :09:14.who wait, and your time is now. Stronger than an ox. Potent as
:09:14. > :09:24.venom. Rooney, Rooney, Rooney. Your name strikes fear. Unleash the
:09:24. > :09:37.
:09:37. > :09:41.This is England at the Stadium in Donetsk, having a look at the
:09:41. > :09:46.facilities before the bid game. Wayne Rooney, by all accounts,
:09:46. > :09:50.looking very relaxed. Not straining at the leash, as some have put it.
:09:50. > :09:55.But being relaxed is a good thing. It is, and this is the moment he
:09:55. > :09:59.has been waiting for. He asked his team-mates to do the business in
:09:59. > :10:04.the first two games, to allow him to come into this game all guns
:10:04. > :10:07.blazing. We are assured that he will play tomorrow, and that is
:10:07. > :10:11.right. No point having him in the squad if you were not going to play
:10:11. > :10:17.him in this game. Andy Carroll or Danny Welbeck, who gives way?
:10:17. > :10:21.Probably Andy Carroll. Harsh on him, probably, but in fairness to
:10:21. > :10:28.Welbeck, in the first two games, he has been brilliant. He did not
:10:28. > :10:36.score in the first game, but he was excellent, and his second game has
:10:36. > :10:39.given him the role he deserved. They have got a lovely
:10:39. > :10:43.understanding of being in and around each other when the ball is
:10:43. > :10:46.coming into the box. There is plenty of movement and mobility,
:10:46. > :10:51.and they will cause any team problems. Let's see what has
:10:51. > :11:01.happened in tonight's other game group C. Spain are taking on
:11:01. > :11:22.
:11:23. > :11:32.Cup a few years ago. Beautifully done. Almost out of reach. So
:11:33. > :12:10.
:12:10. > :12:20.the hallmarks of the Spanish game. The first shot on target came from
:12:20. > :12:58.
:12:58. > :13:03.thought that was a foul. It was right under the nose of the
:13:03. > :13:08.additional assistant behind the goal at that end. Usually, anywhere
:13:08. > :13:14.on the pitch, that would be a foul. That has been the one major talking
:13:14. > :13:18.point, that challenge. Was it a foul? Definitely not a foul for me.
:13:18. > :13:25.It was a fantastic tackle from Ramos. If you look at the direction
:13:25. > :13:31.of the ball, and look where it goes. It goes out for a corner. That
:13:31. > :13:35.tells you that the defender has won the ball. But it was a great tackle.
:13:35. > :13:40.You would be proud of a tackle like that. Definitely. Plus, the centre
:13:40. > :13:49.forward is hurting. It is not right seeing Spain play in light blue.
:13:49. > :13:52.is not my favourite kit. But they have not been beaten in it. That
:13:52. > :14:00.means there player is hobbling a bit towards half-time. That is not
:14:00. > :14:10.great, considering that Croatia are now one goal down and needed to get
:14:10. > :14:17.
:14:17. > :14:22.another player to come on as well, you bitch. I think Croatia will be
:14:22. > :14:28.quietly confident, and Spain will get edgy. Who knows? Column have
:14:28. > :14:33.come out. -- Holland have gone out of. By the way, looking at mind
:14:33. > :14:38.games before football matches, this is nice. The Italian goalkeeper,
:14:38. > :14:44.Buffon, is trying to out stare the mascot. Who blinks first? He is
:14:44. > :14:51.doing well, but he did not flinch. Solid as a rock. What about the
:14:51. > :14:57.Republic, Steve? What do they do in the second half? A much improved
:14:57. > :15:03.display on the last two. What can they do? A bit more quality. Take
:15:03. > :15:13.their time. One or two subs now would freshen things up. Let's have
:15:13. > :15:16.
:15:16. > :15:19.a go with Italy. This is not a getting to this tournament but I
:15:19. > :15:24.have found it really tough and it is an eye-opener for the guys who
:15:24. > :15:31.think, we have done well to get here, can we kick on? Clearly the
:15:31. > :15:36.answer is no. The players are about to emerge from the tunnel. Let's
:15:36. > :15:46.hand you back took our commentators in Poznan, Mick McCarthy and Steve
:15:46. > :16:03.
:16:03. > :16:08.his lip stitched up. Italy are topping the group at the moment
:16:08. > :16:18.ahead of Spain but if Croatia sneak in the goal Spain could be going
:16:18. > :16:18.
:16:18. > :16:27.out with the Dutch. Everybody is caning Ireland for not having any
:16:27. > :16:31.points but Holland so far do not have any points. Ireland other
:16:31. > :16:41.first to emerge and I don't think there are any changes in the side
:16:41. > :16:41.
:16:41. > :16:51.at half-time. Cassano, who scored the goal, is waiting to somebody in
:16:51. > :16:56.
:16:56. > :17:01.the crowd. -- waving. All that Italy can do is win the game of
:17:01. > :17:05.course but it is possible that they could win the game and not go
:17:05. > :17:12.through. The system used by UEFA was defended by Michel Platini
:17:12. > :17:18.today. It is the same system used by the Champions League. It throws
:17:18. > :17:27.up the odd position of Spain, Croatia and Italy all having five
:17:27. > :17:37.points in the current situation. Italy top the group because of the
:17:37. > :17:38.
:17:38. > :17:45.mini league. But Ireland have 45 minutes to put Italy even more
:17:45. > :17:48.firmly in the corridor of uncertainty. Let's grasp the nettle
:17:48. > :17:55.while we are waiting. Lots of discussion about whether Trapattoni
:17:55. > :18:00.should stay or go. What do you think? If he has the desire and
:18:00. > :18:09.hunger and belief that he can build another team and make sure that he
:18:09. > :18:19.can coach them, yes. But it will have to be turned over, there is no
:18:19. > :18:20.
:18:20. > :18:24.question. Six weeks ago he was a hero. The short pause is because we
:18:24. > :18:34.need to co-ordinate with Spain and need to co-ordinate with Spain and
:18:34. > :18:46.
:18:46. > :18:56.Croatia. Cassano could not keep the ball in play. It is an Irish throw.
:18:56. > :19:07.
:19:07. > :19:17.Buffon would have come and collect inside the Italian half of the
:19:17. > :19:17.
:19:17. > :19:59.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:19:59. > :20:09.he will take the throw-in, the man Balzaretti with all kinds of room.
:20:09. > :20:24.
:20:24. > :20:34.Well played, Glenn Whelan. He kept Sean St Ledger. Early Italian
:20:34. > :20:34.
:20:34. > :20:44.pressure. The Italians seem to be getting numbers forward. Another
:20:44. > :21:14.
:21:14. > :21:24.and around their own penalty area. The way they started, the first 30
:21:24. > :21:53.
:21:53. > :22:03.Dunne. Smash over the top by Balzaretti. You think he might have
:22:03. > :22:06.
:22:06. > :22:15.put his laces through that. Hit it with some violence, you get a
:22:16. > :22:25.deflection and who knows. Pretty tame effort considering where he
:22:26. > :22:43.
:22:43. > :22:53.was. Yes, but we are getting Almost impossible. He was behind
:22:53. > :22:53.
:22:53. > :24:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:24:07. > :24:15.him, falling over, trying to get away to the far side. A nice touch.
:24:15. > :24:19.A bit of space was made for de Rossi by the run of Cassano.
:24:19. > :24:26.need to get a foothold in this game. He has gone for the top left-hand
:24:26. > :24:35.corner. He was wayward with it but they are running all over the top
:24:35. > :24:43.of us and if they get the second goal... There is a danger that
:24:43. > :24:50.Ireland could leave Poland with the worst ever record of European
:24:50. > :25:00.Championship finalists. Zero points and to a goal difference of
:25:00. > :25:36.
:25:36. > :25:46.Robbie Keane at the back post. I think that hit Ignazio Abate. It is
:25:46. > :26:04.
:26:04. > :26:14.Richard Dunne and Andrea Barzagli. It only takes one Irish goal, that
:26:14. > :26:28.
:26:28. > :26:34.header and it was a nervous moment for the Italian defence. You fancy
:26:34. > :26:44.our Guys to win the game in the air. The Premier League has lots of
:26:44. > :27:24.
:27:24. > :27:28.football spend a box. -- balls into went to the near post, Shay Given
:27:28. > :27:38.got something on it and he is grateful that Keith Andrews is
:27:38. > :28:07.
:28:07. > :28:17.shelf on Robbie Keane. The referee narrowed to deal with the three in
:28:17. > :28:21.
:28:21. > :28:31.the middle of the park. A waste from Cassano. That was a lovely
:28:31. > :28:32.
:28:32. > :28:42.move. Went for the near post. will never be beaten at that near
:28:42. > :28:46.
:28:46. > :28:49.post. While we were watching a replays of that, Chiellini has a
:28:49. > :28:55.problem and the Italians are suggesting he is not going to be
:28:55. > :29:05.able to go on. He would be a loss for them. They have had their
:29:05. > :29:10.
:29:10. > :29:20.defensive problems. Andrea Barzagli with a calf injury was not able to
:29:20. > :29:20.
:29:20. > :29:24.play in the first two games. think I would be tempted at this
:29:24. > :29:34.stage, all we can do is get something out of the game, and I
:29:34. > :29:35.
:29:35. > :29:39.would be tempted, with 34 minutes left, try to liven it up, try
:29:39. > :29:49.something, see if we can get a spark because at the moment we are
:29:49. > :29:49.
:29:49. > :30:49.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:30:49. > :30:59.with Spain in second place. That was not an easy one. It was
:30:59. > :31:09.spinning. Again, they just played through Ireland. It is all a bit
:31:09. > :31:48.
:31:48. > :31:57.too easy at the moment. This was that with a look of contempt on his
:31:57. > :32:07.face. It nearly missed him by a long way. He was not going to
:32:07. > :32:38.
:32:38. > :32:48.flatter the pass by trying to chase bench. I don't know if there seems
:32:48. > :32:50.
:32:50. > :33:00.to be any movement or not. Buffon made the save. Keith Andrews, who
:33:00. > :33:23.
:33:23. > :33:33.scored against the Italians in a 2- from the referee, which he didn't
:33:33. > :33:39.
:33:39. > :33:49.get. Cassano and Di Natale are two good players up front. Cheers for a
:33:49. > :34:00.
:34:00. > :34:05.little bit of control from contemplating a second I thought I
:34:05. > :34:15.saw the number 10 on the fourth official's board. In which case,
:34:15. > :34:16.
:34:16. > :34:26.that would be Cassano. Balzaretti was pulled back by O'Shea. The
:34:26. > :34:31.
:34:31. > :34:38.frustrated, the players and the Irish fans, thinking that every
:34:38. > :34:44.little decision is going against them. Is he wanting them to make a
:34:44. > :34:54.substitution first? I am not sure. The former West Ham man Diamanti
:34:54. > :35:09.
:35:10. > :35:19.will come on in a minute. But this interesting. They seem to use Di
:35:19. > :35:29.Natale and Cassano. There goes a familiar figure in Cassano. Another
:35:29. > :35:30.
:35:31. > :35:40.familiar figure comes on for him. It was a great goal. His movement
:35:41. > :35:43.
:35:43. > :35:50.was terrific. Alessandro Diamanti, now of Bologna. He had only won one
:35:50. > :36:00.cap prior to this tournament. He had a year at West Ham. He had
:36:00. > :36:20.
:36:20. > :36:28.eight goals, four of them from the change is imminent as well. Shane
:36:28. > :36:34.Long will bring some energy and enthusiasm. He is a handful. He is
:36:34. > :36:44.very difficult to deal with. He is not the biggest man in the world,
:36:44. > :36:52.
:36:52. > :37:02.but he has a real presence about him. Will he take will be off and
:37:02. > :37:09.
:37:09. > :37:15.have more physical presence up heading straight for goal. Well
:37:15. > :37:25.done to Keith Andrews. Won the team-mate corner just by his
:37:25. > :37:39.
:37:39. > :37:49.make the change first. Aiden McGeady is coming off. I thought it
:37:49. > :38:05.
:38:05. > :38:09.might be one of the two centre front? 25 minutes to go. The Irish
:38:09. > :38:19.are appealing. Richard Dunne is, anyway. Bit of a lone appeal from
:38:19. > :38:34.
:38:34. > :38:44.coming out to play on the right hand side of the Irish midfield,
:38:44. > :38:54.with Long supporting Robbie Keane. It looks that way. I was hoping
:38:54. > :39:19.
:39:19. > :39:29.they might have three up front. It Bonucci under pressure. I wonder
:39:29. > :39:48.
:39:48. > :39:58.who has been delegated to mark him? Dunne. Still, Spain versus Croatia
:39:58. > :40:16.
:40:16. > :40:26.Italy are going through as group winners at the moment, but there is
:40:26. > :40:32.
:40:32. > :40:42.still plenty of time for that Free kick, right on the edge of the
:40:42. > :40:42.
:40:42. > :41:22.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:41:22. > :41:32.Irish Box. The referee got that one are just a red herrings. It is
:41:32. > :41:36.
:41:36. > :41:46.Pirlo. Over the bar. He is whingeing at the wall. What was he
:41:46. > :41:46.
:41:46. > :42:43.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:42:43. > :42:53.expecting? They are going to try played well. They have narrowed the
:42:53. > :43:01.
:43:01. > :43:06.eight years ago in 2004, time flies - Italy were going through in the
:43:06. > :43:10.very last minute of their group game against Bulgaria, winning 2-1.
:43:10. > :43:14.Then the other match that matter for them, Denmark and Sweden were
:43:14. > :43:19.2-1 and then they equalised in the last minute to finish 2-2. And
:43:19. > :43:29.Italy went out, so they will not take anything for granted. You can
:43:29. > :43:55.
:43:55. > :43:59.see why it frustrates the players Rossi. Did well, Kevin Doyle. De
:43:59. > :44:06.Rossi took one for the team. Professional foul to stop them
:44:06. > :44:12.getting forward. It will not affect his participation in the quarter-
:44:12. > :44:22.final, assuming Italy have a quarter-final. Now that it was a
:44:22. > :44:29.tattoo. Glenn Whelan with his free kick. Cam Ireland find an
:44:29. > :44:39.equaliser? Plenty are hoping. The sheer weight of numbers might cause
:44:39. > :44:58.
:44:58. > :45:08.that they have given the free kick away, because they were breaking.
:45:08. > :45:30.
:45:30. > :45:40.And I am not so certain it was a will be off like a scalded cat.
:45:40. > :45:49.
:45:49. > :45:56.Great delivery from Duff. De Rossi is down and holding his head.
:45:56. > :46:00.must get sick of this. He might have been caught but they are
:46:00. > :46:07.wanting a game stop and it is not in the rules, they don't have to
:46:07. > :46:17.stop the game. Unfortunately the referee did stop it because the
:46:17. > :46:17.
:46:17. > :46:27.Irish were breaking. It is a yellow card for Buffon. A little bit too
:46:27. > :47:03.
:47:03. > :47:10.is a corner. A really good spell this for Ireland. Yes, Italy have
:47:10. > :47:20.dominated but they are getting a bit nervous. Mario Balotelli is
:47:20. > :47:46.
:47:46. > :47:52.coming on. At di Natale is coming Buffon under all kinds of pressure.
:47:52. > :48:02.Inevitably gets the free kick his way. He was always going to get a
:48:02. > :48:12.
:48:12. > :48:22.free kick. He comes and flaps. I know he is a very experienced
:48:22. > :48:27.
:48:27. > :48:37.keeper. Trapattoni is about to put Jonathan Walters on. Trying to
:48:37. > :48:52.
:48:52. > :49:02.spread unease among the Italian the change. Jonathan Walters is
:49:02. > :49:09.
:49:09. > :49:15.coming on and Kevin Doyle is going done. I am a bit surprised. I think
:49:15. > :49:25.Kevin Doyle has been excellent and coming out why did he has been a
:49:25. > :49:36.
:49:36. > :49:46.real handful but Jonathan Walters Balotelli. It is a free kick as
:49:46. > :50:09.
:50:09. > :50:19.has been strangely muted, with the nerves are round the place. Ireland
:50:19. > :50:29.have just had a good spell. -- around the place. Free kick, foul
:50:29. > :50:29.
:50:29. > :50:39.on Jonathan Walters. What a good position this is in. I have no idea
:50:39. > :50:52.
:50:52. > :50:57.what they are complaining about. It nerves. I do they speak good
:50:57. > :51:07.Turkish or he speaks good Italian, I don't know whether there is a
:51:07. > :51:08.
:51:08. > :51:18.common language between them! Turkish referee has very pointedly
:51:18. > :51:20.
:51:20. > :51:30.taken 10 long strides. That is a good 10 yards, that. There marking
:51:30. > :51:34.
:51:35. > :51:44.his six yards. He is spot on. -- the marking is. Excellent save by
:51:45. > :51:59.
:51:59. > :52:03.Buffon. Fabulous. He has kept his heart in the mouth time. He has to
:52:03. > :52:13.say that. If they want to go through to the quarter-finals, he
:52:13. > :52:35.
:52:35. > :52:45.has to save that. Ireland a touch on it. Robbie Keane has
:52:45. > :52:49.gone after it, and he has kept it in. Offside in the middle. Italian
:52:49. > :52:59.defenders do clear that 18-yard box so they have caught them offside a
:52:59. > :53:01.
:53:01. > :53:05.couple of times. It is a difficult one to tell. He was the nearest man.
:53:05. > :53:12.Robbie Keane maybe became active when he chased after it. Bouton
:53:13. > :53:22.with the clearance as we look at some fairly anxious Italian faces.
:53:23. > :53:24.
:53:24. > :53:31.-- Buffon. Ireland's best spell of the game, best spell of the
:53:31. > :53:39.tournament. You can just feel it with 10 minutes to go, something
:53:39. > :53:49.special might be just around the corner for Ireland. He won the
:53:49. > :53:53.
:53:53. > :54:00.header. Let's see if it was a foul. Not a chance. We have had our best
:54:00. > :54:08.spell here and it has become a bit more direct, playing up to Shane
:54:08. > :54:18.Long. You can ask whether it is Ireland playing better or Italy are
:54:18. > :54:20.
:54:20. > :54:30.getting nervous. A bit of a relief, that, for the Italians. Still
:54:30. > :54:41.
:54:41. > :54:47.goalless in good banks to -- Gdansk. Andrews and Long in the middle.
:54:48. > :54:57.Sloppy from Italy. He has been the Tallis man, the guy who has got the
:54:58. > :54:58.
:54:58. > :55:44.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:55:44. > :55:50.has been on the pitch but he is one. Damien Duff and Glenn Whelan
:55:50. > :56:00.are incensed. He is on his way down before anybody get anywhere near
:56:00. > :56:15.
:56:15. > :56:25.him. Standing order, that. They do wriggle through all of them if he
:56:25. > :56:28.
:56:28. > :56:38.is in the mood. He has got a free kick. That was theatrical. Has he
:56:38. > :56:39.
:56:39. > :56:49.caught him? Yellow-card is shown to Sean St Ledger. He misses the next
:56:49. > :56:54.
:56:54. > :57:02.match but it is purely theoretical. He caught him there, definitely.
:57:02. > :57:12.Yes, he caught him, but it is a theatrical for to the ground. --
:57:12. > :57:23.
:57:23. > :57:33.Italians as to who is going to take this. Balotelli and Marchisio have
:57:33. > :57:53.
:57:53. > :57:58.minutes plus extra time of excitement. The Italians have moved
:57:58. > :58:05.the ball back a bit and the referee has made them put it back on the
:58:05. > :58:15.spot from where he gave the free kick. While he had his back
:58:15. > :58:31.
:58:32. > :58:41.to talk about there. Marchisio seemed to shove some body and...
:58:42. > :58:42.
:58:42. > :58:46.was a handball. No question. Robbie Keane is coming off. Fabulous
:58:46. > :58:56.career. He was always going to break the goalscoring record, but
:58:56. > :59:09.
:59:09. > :59:19.surprised that he is offside there, I would like to see that one again.
:59:19. > :59:29.
:59:29. > :59:37.for a push because the Lines man definitely had his flag up for
:59:37. > :59:47.offside. -- linesman. Italy are close but nowhere near as close as
:59:47. > :00:03.
:00:03. > :00:13.penalty. We have only had one penalty in this entire championship
:00:13. > :00:13.
:00:13. > :01:17.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 89 seconds
:01:17. > :01:27.class. He has been a real threat, and defended well when he has had
:01:27. > :01:50.
:01:50. > :01:56.Spain have scored. Very late on, we have got a Spanish goal in Gdansk,
:01:56. > :02:02.and we have got a red card for Keith Andrews in Poznan. I'm afraid
:02:02. > :02:12.he has not helped himself by smashing the ball away. Keith
:02:12. > :02:14.
:02:14. > :02:17.Andrews is sent off with two yellow cards. It is all kicking off. I was
:02:17. > :02:21.looking at Giovanni Trapattoni, and he was shaking his head. He
:02:21. > :02:29.probably thinks the Italians are getting all the decisions. We used
:02:29. > :02:33.to think that when he was there as well. That will be a corner.
:02:33. > :02:38.Deflected off Richard Dunne. The Italians have a lead and a man
:02:38. > :02:48.advantage, an time is almost up. That goal for Spain has meant that
:02:48. > :03:00.
:03:00. > :03:03.Italy no longer take the group. done absolutely nothing so far in
:03:03. > :03:09.this European Championship, and then he goes and does that. It was
:03:09. > :03:14.well worth the wait. Well done, Bonucci, who has just told him to
:03:14. > :03:20.shut his goblin no uncertain terms. He has just cut his hand across it.
:03:20. > :03:30.He scored a goal, so what? All the Irish players are completely
:03:30. > :03:51.
:03:51. > :03:56.of an eye in real time. Italy have a corner here. It does not change
:03:56. > :04:06.the group, by the way. Spain are still on top. Italy still in second
:04:06. > :04:11.
:04:11. > :04:17.place. It would be very hard on Ireland if Italy get another.
:04:17. > :04:23.all gone wrong. All in disarray, and yet they had a good spell in
:04:23. > :04:33.this second half. It was a great finish from Balotelli. John O'Shea
:04:33. > :05:10.
:05:10. > :05:20.that will affect the result. It is a stupid free kick. Abate has had a
:05:20. > :05:26.
:05:26. > :05:36.really good game. There was no need for that. Just a few seconds to go
:05:36. > :05:54.
:05:54. > :06:04.there. Balotelli ignored those around him. He did well, Richard.
:06:04. > :06:06.
:06:07. > :06:12.Left on his lonesome there, when there were three of the Italians.
:06:12. > :06:15.In goes the corner kick from Italy. It is going to be another corner.
:06:15. > :06:21.Italy are desperate for a third because, should Croatia equalise
:06:21. > :06:24.and it is 1-1, then that means that 2-0 would not be enough for Italy.
:06:24. > :06:30.3-0 Wood, which is why they are desperate for a third goal. The
:06:30. > :06:35.referee blows his whistle, and Italy have won this goal -- game by
:06:35. > :06:39.2-0. Now they wait for confirmation that a Croatian equaliser in go
:06:39. > :06:43.danced against Spain will not knock them out. The celebrations are on
:06:43. > :06:48.hold at the moment from the Italians whilst they are still
:06:48. > :06:58.playing in Gdansk. But Mario Balotelli's all has meant that it
:06:58. > :07:01.
:07:01. > :07:04.has finished here at 2-0. Balotelli and Given exchange have. The
:07:04. > :07:10.Italians don't know yet if they are through. While we wait for that,
:07:10. > :07:14.let's reflect on the Irish campaign. Great disappointment, obviously,
:07:14. > :07:19.but much better tonight? Huge disappointment, but they were never
:07:19. > :07:22.going to be happy with being just better. They had a good spell for
:07:22. > :07:30.30 minutes, and then Italy deservedly took the lead. In the
:07:30. > :07:34.second half, they dominated. We had a good little spell, and then we
:07:34. > :07:38.have one sent off. It looks awful, because we have not been like that
:07:39. > :07:43.in the tournament. We ended up with ten men, and it is a real
:07:43. > :07:47.disappointment. But one is asking the Italian fans wet of the game
:07:47. > :07:53.has finished in the Gdansk. They can't tell him from here, but there
:07:53. > :07:58.is the answer. Italy are through! They know it now. Spain have beaten
:07:58. > :08:03.Croatia 1-0. It was a horrible wait, because if Croatia had scored late
:08:04. > :08:08.in that game, then Italian Joia would have turned to tears and they
:08:08. > :08:15.would have been out. But as it is, Croatia for through the trapdoor.
:08:15. > :08:19.Spain win group C. Italy go through as runners-up. Spain and Italy are
:08:19. > :08:26.through. Ireland goal and applaud their magnificent fans before
:08:26. > :08:30.heading home. It has finished in Poznan.
:08:30. > :08:34.Incredible scenes there, with Italy clearly delighted to be through to
:08:34. > :08:39.the quarter-finals. Steve and Allen, this went right down to the wire.
:08:39. > :08:44.Incredible much of football. We just didn't know what was going to
:08:44. > :08:50.happen right until the last kick in both games. A great night of
:08:50. > :08:58.football. From the Republic of Ireland's point of view, at least
:08:58. > :09:02.they went out give it a good goal. They fought in the second half. At
:09:02. > :09:06.least they gave it a go. You can hear that the fans are happy with
:09:06. > :09:11.what they have seen. They made it so much noise tonight, and that has
:09:11. > :09:18.been one of the hallmarks of the Republic's involvement in this
:09:19. > :09:23.tournament. The support has been incredible. You can still hear them.
:09:23. > :09:27.There are 20,000 or 30,000 of them, and they have enjoyed every minute.
:09:28. > :09:32.Thankfully, at least in the second half, the lads put in a great shift
:09:32. > :09:36.for them. Unlucky not to get a goal, but it was a much improved
:09:36. > :09:42.performance in the second half. Gdansk in Poland, these are the
:09:42. > :09:47.scenes. Similarly jubilant for Spain. They go through.
:09:47. > :09:55.Disappointment for Croatia. They go home. There manager gives up the
:09:55. > :10:05.position. Yes, he has got the manager's job at Lokomotiv Moscow.
:10:05. > :10:05.
:10:05. > :10:12.It looked as if Croatia had a few chances. Ability-wise, Italy, Spain
:10:12. > :10:17.and Croatia are three very good sides. We are going to lose a side,
:10:17. > :10:19.with Croatia missing out. Spain were wobbling this evening. That
:10:19. > :10:24.will give all the other protagonists of the tournament
:10:24. > :10:31.plenty of heart. If you look at the group itself, Spain have been quite
:10:31. > :10:36.poor at the back. Italy got at them. We did not do too much to them, but
:10:36. > :10:40.Croatia got at them. I think there is a weakness there at the back.
:10:40. > :10:48.They did not look great, but they won 1-0. And that is all that
:10:48. > :10:58.matters. Let's get final confirmation. These are the scenes
:10:58. > :11:14.
:11:14. > :11:20.in Gdansk. Clearly, disappointment What an evening, gents. It was a
:11:20. > :11:24.great evening of football. But looking at the points total, we all
:11:24. > :11:28.expected Spain to win the group, which has happened. But the
:11:28. > :11:31.standard of football from both Italy and Croatia has probably
:11:31. > :11:37.surprised everyone. The problems Italy had coming into the
:11:37. > :11:42.tournament, they have looked pretty strong. And Croatia, with Jelavic.
:11:43. > :11:47.They have got some good players. They will be disappointed, but as
:11:47. > :11:53.you say, Ireland were up against three good sides. The Italians do
:11:53. > :11:57.it in every tournament. No one fancies them to get out of the
:11:57. > :12:01.group. Don't be surprised if they go all the way either. If you look
:12:01. > :12:04.at the Czech Republic and Greece, laugh qualified from other groups,
:12:04. > :12:08.and look at their ability compared to Croatia, Croatia can count
:12:08. > :12:15.themselves lucky. It has been a high standard group apart from the
:12:15. > :12:19.Republic. The Irish performance was much improved in the second half,
:12:19. > :12:21.but they found themselves one-0 down. It has been one of the
:12:21. > :12:26.hallmarks of their display defensively that they look very
:12:26. > :12:35.unsteady. It is so not like us. There was a catalogue of mistakes
:12:35. > :12:45.here. We gave the ball away. Here, we had a chance to clear it again,
:12:45. > :12:56.
:12:56. > :13:02.moving all over the place. For me, that was a poor goal to give away.
:13:02. > :13:04.Cassano gets a cross to Keith Andrews. The hallmark of the
:13:04. > :13:08.Republic, coming into the tournament, was that the one thing
:13:08. > :13:12.about them was that they would be tough to beat. But in this
:13:12. > :13:15.tournament, they weren't, unfortunately. They gave away too
:13:15. > :13:19.many basic errors. When you do that against top quality players, you
:13:19. > :13:23.get punished. That is the disappointing thing from their
:13:23. > :13:26.point of view. They came into it with high hopes, maybe not of
:13:26. > :13:31.qualifying, but of giving it a right could go and saying to their
:13:31. > :13:38.fans, we have turned up. It was not meant to be, but we gave you
:13:38. > :13:47.everything. But now they will go away thinking, we gave away so many
:13:47. > :13:53.sloppy errors. If you look at the start of the first half and second
:13:53. > :14:00.half, it is so not like us. The other thing is, we normally close
:14:00. > :14:04.down teams as a unit. But in the first game, we played too deep as a
:14:04. > :14:08.back four. Then your midfield is stretched and you are playing
:14:08. > :14:13.against three in the middle of the park. Then there midfield has a
:14:13. > :14:17.helluva a long way to go and support the front two, so we were
:14:17. > :14:21.disjointed and spread out. It was crucial that the Republic put in a
:14:21. > :14:26.much better second half performance as they leave this tournament and
:14:26. > :14:31.focus on the World Cup qualifiers the 2014. Keith Andrews had a mixed
:14:31. > :14:36.second half, but he fought a good save from Buffon. This was typical.
:14:36. > :14:40.Three of our lads react to it. One Italian defender, and where does
:14:40. > :14:43.the ball fall? In fairness to the Italian defender, that was
:14:43. > :14:47.tremendous defending. How many times do you seek defenders
:14:47. > :14:52.isolated and not going in to protect the goalkeeper? Well, this
:14:52. > :14:58.time the defender got there first. It was fantastic defending. It was,
:14:58. > :15:03.but pleasing from our point of view to see three of our lads react.
:15:03. > :15:07.was unfortunate for Keith, because his tournament ends now. We didn't
:15:07. > :15:15.see the incident, but here was the second yellow card. There was
:15:15. > :15:20.nothing in that. It is his reaction. That is a bit harsh from the
:15:20. > :15:26.referee. The referee has not been too bad during this tournament.
:15:26. > :15:32.letter of the law says that he probably should. But he is totally
:15:32. > :15:38.frustrated. His reaction got him the second yellow card. That sums
:15:38. > :15:48.up the first three games. That is the way it has gone for the
:15:48. > :15:52.
:15:52. > :16:01.improved second half performance, they conceded a second goal. This
:16:01. > :16:06.was a magnificent goal. You can take nothing away from that finish.
:16:06. > :16:16.We said at half-time that at set pieces... And they have been done
:16:16. > :16:19.
:16:19. > :16:26.by another set piece. It is a great folly but when he looks that, he
:16:26. > :16:32.should not get beaten. He should be half a yard in front of him. Pot --
:16:33. > :16:41.disappointing. Let's get some reaction from the Republic of
:16:41. > :16:49.Ireland camp. Robbie Keane. An incredible reception from the
:16:49. > :16:53.fans once again. Yes, the last three games they have been
:16:53. > :16:59.fantastic. We did not perform as well as we know we can and we did
:16:59. > :17:04.not get the results, but if anybody deserves if it is them. Perhaps we
:17:04. > :17:09.should have got a result? I think we played well tonight but we did
:17:09. > :17:13.not really get too many chances. Obviously disappointing that we did
:17:13. > :17:21.not get anything out of the group and the players are disappointed
:17:21. > :17:28.but we have been be -- beaten by better team is. Set pieces again?
:17:28. > :17:33.Yes, that has been the same for the last few games. In previous games
:17:33. > :17:40.we were quite solid in that department. Is it the end of the
:17:40. > :17:48.road for some of the players? will have to see.
:17:48. > :17:54.He could be on his way. Could we see him in the Republic of Ireland
:17:54. > :18:04.shirt again in a major tournament? He is big pals with Richard and I
:18:04. > :18:12.hope the two of them don't go together, O'Shea and Shay Given as
:18:12. > :18:17.well. That is five of them out of the starting 11. If it is, it would
:18:17. > :18:22.be a shame for the likes of Damien Duff and Shay Given and Robbie
:18:22. > :18:27.Keane. I have been fantastic and given everything to their country.
:18:27. > :18:31.To bow out on a game and a tournament where it has not gone as
:18:31. > :18:37.expected for them, it would be a shame, but no surprise. Definitely
:18:37. > :18:47.the end of an era. Let's see how events unfolded in Gdansk because
:18:47. > :18:49.
:18:49. > :18:59.Spain against Croatia was watched by mark Brotherton and its -- Simon
:18:59. > :19:32.
:19:32. > :19:35.impressive. Beautifully done by a long slow. -- Xabi Alonso. Him he
:19:35. > :19:45.was trying to drive back as hard as he could and hopefully it would
:19:45. > :19:55.
:19:55. > :20:05.hallmarks of the Spanish game. Ramos. First shot on target comes
:20:05. > :20:28.
:20:28. > :20:35.easy stopped. The -- stop. Beautiful movement from Mandzukic,
:20:35. > :20:44.got the better of Ramos. He is taking some stopping here, and
:20:44. > :20:50.Ramos went diving in. I thought that was a foul. It was right under
:20:50. > :21:00.the nose of the additional assistant behind the goal. Anywhere
:21:00. > :21:01.
:21:01. > :21:11.else on the pitch I would say that would be a foul. Here is in
:21:11. > :21:31.
:21:31. > :21:41.Leicester -- in Leicester for Spain. possession. Beautifully done there.
:21:41. > :21:42.
:21:43. > :21:52.Mandzukic into the centre. Rakitic! Saved by Casillas and away by a
:21:53. > :21:57.
:21:57. > :22:07.Xabi Alonso. Great ball by Modric. Anywhere down for a cross and the
:22:07. > :22:10.
:22:10. > :22:18.goal -- or across the goal. What a chance. Her Xavi making himself
:22:18. > :22:28.available, as he always does, at the earliest opportunity.
:22:28. > :22:36.
:22:36. > :22:43.Schildenfeld able to make the block. Again it is to one of the central
:22:43. > :22:47.defenders, this time Pique, who is down and holding his head. It does
:22:47. > :22:56.not quite reached Silva Because Schildenfeld puts himself in the
:22:56. > :23:06.right place at the right time. is an excellent delivery towards
:23:06. > :23:10.the near post. If the referee sees that, that is a red. Croatia
:23:10. > :23:12.looking for that one chance that could swing the game around
:23:13. > :23:22.completely, and then mack is the man who could be the provider of
:23:23. > :23:27.
:23:27. > :23:37.that opportunity. -- there is. False to Vega and the save made by
:23:37. > :23:44.
:23:44. > :23:52.Casillas. -- it falls to Domagoj Vida. The blue shirt flooding
:23:52. > :24:02.forward. -- blue shirts. It fell to the right man, -- wrong man, didn't
:24:02. > :24:06.
:24:06. > :24:16.it? They are taking a chance now, Croatia. In Leicester for saying
:24:16. > :24:35.
:24:35. > :24:41.the stop from Pletikosa. -- Iniesta stays down. Spain are going through
:24:41. > :24:48.to the quarter-finals. Finally the deadlock is broken. Croatia
:24:48. > :24:58.suddenly have an awful lot to do and not much time to do it in.
:24:58. > :25:01.
:25:01. > :25:07.Iniesta was not offside. Finally Spain pick the lock.
:25:07. > :25:17.Spain are through with Italy but it was nervy stuff. Let's reflect more
:25:17. > :25:21.
:25:21. > :25:29.about the Republic of Ireland's For the tournament, from a neutral
:25:29. > :25:34.perspective, the two sides you would want to see have gone through.
:25:34. > :25:40.Yes, although it ended up being a really nervous end, especially for
:25:40. > :25:50.Italy. For the Irish point of view, three games and three defeats.
:25:50. > :25:53.
:25:53. > :25:57.There is pressure on Trapattoni. Should -- be? -- should there be?
:25:57. > :26:01.They have come here and come up against better opposition and they
:26:01. > :26:09.have been punished for it. I think we were competing against teams we
:26:09. > :26:13.could not really cope with. We had some bad luck, some if the goals.
:26:13. > :26:17.Whether Trapattoni goes ball stays, now is the natural time for there
:26:17. > :26:23.to be some evolution in the squad. Clearly some of these guys are not
:26:24. > :26:32.likely to be around for two, four years. No, Robbie Keane, Damien
:26:32. > :26:37.Duff, Shay Given, they are the ones, and they might say they have had
:26:37. > :26:41.enough. If it is Giovanni, I hope he has that desire and ambition to
:26:41. > :26:48.build a new team because he has made a success by getting us here.
:26:48. > :26:52.But it has been asked -- a disappointment here.
:26:52. > :26:57.Obviously Trapattoni has signed up for the World Cup qualifiers. Do
:26:57. > :27:07.you expect him to fulfil those fixtures? I would expect so. I
:27:07. > :27:08.
:27:08. > :27:13.think he would see that there is enough young talent coming through.
:27:13. > :27:18.There is and nucleus to build on and I hope he does. He has done a
:27:18. > :27:23.wonderful job in the qualifiers but we need to push on with the younger
:27:23. > :27:27.talent. Looking at the teams they will have to compete against,
:27:27. > :27:32.Germany, Sweden, Austria, the Faroe Islands and Kazakhstan, a major
:27:32. > :27:37.challenge. It will always be a major challenge for Ireland. Four
:27:37. > :27:44.us to qualify for it honoured is a magnificent achievement. You can't
:27:44. > :27:47.take anything away from that. After that, anything is a bonus. They
:27:47. > :27:53.have been brilliant to come here but they have just come up against
:27:53. > :27:59.better opposition and I have to say, we could have done better, but they
:27:59. > :28:05.did great there to get here. have to do -- leave it there. Thank
:28:05. > :28:09.you for your company. The Irish go home after a much improved